Wonder Woman reboot film possibilities

[Primal Slayer]

Wakanda was inspired by RL African cultures. I have seen some African viewers criticize the movie for having a hodgepodge of various African cultures. The accents were done accurately for the most part.

But Themyscira is way more removed from the real world than Wakanda is. Themyscira is more comparable to Asgard where everyone talked in Shakesperean English and even after they dropped that both Hemsworth and Hiddleston infuse their real accents into the dialogue so that Thor and Loki always sounds different from everyone.

We aren't talking about how real the culture is that influence the characters though. Faking an accent is faking an accent. Some think only an actress who has a natural accent should influence if WW has one which is fine but we have Black Panther that has plenty of actors using an accent who don't have them naturally so it's just a point of do we think an American actress would be that much worse.

[PopQuezy]

We aren't talking about how real the culture is that influence the characters though. Faking an accent is faking an accent. Some think only an actress who has a natural accent should influence if WW has one which is fine but we have Black Panther that has plenty of actors using an accent who don't have them naturally so it's just a point of do we think an American actress would be that much worse.

Agreed. I'm for an accent. Accents are sometimes a part of acting as with your Black Panther example. I hope Diana has an accent as I think it really helps to set the character apart and helps her to feel otherworldly.

[hareluyafan1]

Faking an accent is faking an accent.

No offence but I disagree. Some people can pull off an accent they don't naturally have. Others can't. Personally I agree with Guy_McNichts. If an actress can convincingly perform a non-natural accent then great, go with that. If she can't, then don't.

[hareluyafan1]

Ironically, Rucka and Perez did all the things you listed as vanilla and cookie-cutter.

All the more reason not to do it again.

However, what I bolded is the beginnings of the brainstorming of an idea. Twitter and gamer dudes who make YouTube videos trying to use GOW as a base template for Diana via game or story does not mean they want a mod that that just puts Diana in as Kratos. They just want a solid combat system and cool enemies to fight within a compelling story.

I'm sure that's true of the vast majority of people, but do you seriously think there aren't at least some nimrods who think WW is/should be a barbarian going "choppy-choppy" with a big grin on her face because they think it's "bad-ass?"

[Frontier]

Admittedly Gadot has popularized Diana having an accent but 98% of takes on Diana don't have one.

[Primal Slayer]

No offence but I disagree. Some people can pull off an accent they don't naturally have. Others can't. Personally I agree with Guy_McNichts. If an actress can convincingly perform a non-natural accent then great, go with that. If she can't, then don't.

Faking an accent is faking an accent. How well that accent is faked though....that's a different situation.

I'm sure they'll adjust to the actresses strengths like they did with Halle Berry between X1 & X2

[hareluyafan1]

Faking an accent is faking an accent.

Beg your pardon but no it isn't. You're saying that "faking an accent" is the same for everybody who does it. That is not so. Some people are better at it than others.

How well that accent is faked though....that's a different situation.

How so?

I'm sure they'll adjust to the actresses strengths like they did with Halle Berry between X1 & X2

Maybe but never underestimate human stupidity, especially where WB is concerned.

Admittedly Gadot has popularized Diana having an accent but 98% of takes on Diana don't have one.

Very true.

[Primal Slayer]

Beg your pardon but no it isn't. You're saying that "faking an accent" is the same for everybody who does it. That is not so. Some people are better at it than others.



How so?.

You answered it. Not everyone is going to be good at faking an accent but they're still faking it. Halle wasnt successful in faking her accent but it was faked.

But my original point was that it doesn't matter if we are faking a legitimate accent from real people (BP) or faking an accent from fake people (Amazons). It's not going to change the quality. That's all on the actors and their coach.

[bardkeep]

Going back to the Greek myth conversation, I think people are forgetting that what's played out in the comics isn't played out with the general audience. We haven't had any WW adaptations about something like Diana getting roped into drama with the gods on Olympus or even fighting mythological monsters. In fact, there haven't really been any big modern superhero movies that have played myth and high fantasy seriously - Thor's "mythology" is just goofy antics built around MCU cosmic hoo-ha and Shazam 2 is using Greek myth but it's a comedy.

The question isn't whether or not they're gonna lean into the epic fantasy/Greek myth angle, because they are. The question is just whether or not they're gonna do it well. I know not everyone here has faith in James Gunn, but I do trust that he's gonna aim for something that doesn't feel generic. And a movie about a demigoddess/activist dealing with modern politics and getting roped into some dickish gods' political struggle? That sounds really interesting and fresh, even if it's been done in the comics before.

The sword and shield are almost certainly here to stay in some capacity, and the Zeus origin is probably stuck at this point (ughhhh...), but I'm not sure why people think Greek myth necessarily equals Kratos or Xena.

Yeah, mythology is a critical part of Wonder Woman. But you know what is boring? Rehashing the same cookie-cutter beats over and over.
"What if Diana fought Medusa because Medusa is EVIL?!"
"What if the Greek gods were...now stay with me, this is out there...kind of dicks that use and manipulate Diana?"
"What if Diana fought a centaur because I can't be arsed to put any effort into this?"

Those things can be done well, though. Look at Rucka's Post-Crisis run - Medusa as a villain, Diana being used as a pawn in the Greek gods' Game of Thrones, big fight with a Greek mythological monster in the Hecatoncheires. But none of it feels cookie-cutter because the approach is unique. The fantasy stuff is balanced with the earthly political drama and he really digs into the interplay between ancient myth and the modern world, both thematically and aesthetically (e.g. the gods rebranding, the changing of the guard on Olympus, the gladiator match in Yankee Stadium, public protests over Diana's paganism/ideology, Ferdinand). Yes, the fantasy elements are all based in Greek myth, but it's quintessential Wonder Woman.

Similarly Perez's run and Historia both play 100% in the Greek mythology sandbox but they use them in really creative ways. In fact, a big reason why those stories are so good is because they're feminist, subversive takes on the myths at the center of our patriarchal culture. Making them about characters created for the IP would take away a lot of their political punch.

[hareluyafan1]

You answered it. Not everyone is going to be good at faking an accent but they're still faking it. Halle wasnt successful in faking her accent but it was faked.

But my original point was that it doesn't matter if we are faking a legitimate accent from real people (BP) or faking an accent from fake people (Amazons). It's not going to change the quality. That's all on the actors and their coach.

And my point is that if whoever ends up playing WW can't do a convincing accent then they shouldn't bother.

Making them about characters created for the IP would take away a lot of their political punch.

Ah yes, because that's just what we want. More movies used as political propaganda. Heaven forbid that we just have a well-written enjoyable story that doesn't involve politics.

[Primal Slayer]

If we have 50 years of Batman battling an evil Joker, Scarecrow, etc... same with Superman...we can get a couple of films of Wonder Woman battling an evil Medusa, Greek Gods, etc...

And my point is that if whoever ends up playing WW can't do a convincing accent then they shouldn't bother.

I never said otherwise.

[bardkeep]

Ah yes, because that's just what we want. More movies used as political propaganda. Heaven forbid that we just have a well-written enjoyable story that doesn't involve politics.

The barest summary of her lore is that she comes from a female separatist society that hid away from the world after they were subjugated and enslaved by a Greek mythological hero. Her archnemesis is the god of war. Her creator was an outspoken radical and literally stated outright that she was feminist propaganda.

If you don't want politics in your stories, I'm not sure why this character would interest you.

[Guy_McNichts]

If we have 50 years of Batman battling an evil Joker, Scarecrow, etc... same with Superman...we can get a couple of films of Wonder Woman battling an evil Medusa, Greek Gods, etc...

Not really a one-to-one analogy, because I know a lot of Superman fans are sick to death of Lex Luthor and Zod being the default villains whenever Superman has a movie. And, not unlike Wonder Woman, Superman is also criticized by general audiences for having a weak rogues gallery.
And Batman...yeah, we've had a half-dozen Jokers. But we've also seen Penguin, Catwoman, Two-Face, Bane, Ra's Al Ghul, Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Scarecrow, and Poison Ivy. There's a reason why Batman's rogues are among the most recognized villains, and it's not because they always default back to Bruce contending with generic gangsters and mob bosses.

And this is why Wonder Woman's rogues gallery is gathering dust and generally dismissed as unworthy of audiences' time. And it turns into a cycle. Diana's villains are never used because audiences don't care about them. They don't care about them because her villains are never used. They're never used because they don't bring in audiences. They don't bring in audiences because they don't know anything about them....
Is the snake choking on its own tail yet?

I'm curious, for all the people pleading for Diana to get an animated series, will her rogues gallery get to appear there? Or will it just be more diet Percy Jackson crap?

[Primal Slayer]

Not really a one-to-one analogy, because I know a lot of Superman fans are sick to death of Lex Luthor and Zod being the default villains whenever Superman has a movie. And, not unlike Wonder Woman, Superman is also criticized by general audiences for having a weak rogues gallery.
And Batman...yeah, we've had a half-dozen Jokers. But we've also seen Penguin, Catwoman, Two-Face, Bane, Ra's Al Ghul, Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Scarecrow, and Poison Ivy. There's a reason why Batman's rogues are among the most recognized villains, and it's not because they always default back to Bruce contending with generic gangsters and mob bosses.

And this is why Wonder Woman's rogues gallery is gathering dust and generally dismissed as unworthy of audiences' time. And it turns into a cycle. Diana's villains are never used because audiences don't care about them. They don't care about them because her villains are never used. They're never used because they don't bring in audiences. They don't bring in audiences because they don't know anything about them....
Is the snake choking on its own tail yet?

I'm curious, for all the people pleading for Diana to get an animated series, will her rogues gallery get to appear there? Or will it just be more diet Percy Jackson crap?

Fans are sick of Lex and Zod because they've been used multiple times. The same cant be said about Wonder Woman though as she's only had 2 movies and 1 live action series that didnt use any of them.

An animated series is nothing like a movie. You are going to get 12-25 episodes which covers PLENTY of ground and makes room for all.

[Perseus]

I'm sure that's true of the vast majority of people, but do you seriously think there aren't at least some nimrods who think WW is/should be a barbarian going "choppy-choppy" with a big grin on her face because they think it's "bad-ass?"

The Perez and Rucka stuff was only ever in comic form, no direct to DVD animated movie, no video game, no film adaptation. Mass audiences are usually unaware of these story beats and all the more reason to have them in other media. You can't claim 'it's been done already' with Diana because it's been done once and never touched unlike say... Superman fighting lex or Batman's origin. It's not stale and it's not over done at all, she fought them once and its barely acknowledged.

No, I'm sure of that. There are the people out there who want Testosteronia the barbarian warrior woman, who is powerful and angry, but not too powerful cause god forbid she matches Superman or someone. But they aren't the majority. The phrase 'people don't know what they want until they have it' comes to mind. You'd be surprised how quickly these people will turn on a dime if the final product is good.